United States
Department
of Agriculture
Forest Service
Rocky Mountain
Research Station
Research Paper
RMRS-RP-32
Wood Use in Colorado
at the Turn of the
Twenty-First Century
September 2001
Dennis L. Lynch
Kurt Mackes
Abstract
Lynch, Dennis L.; Mackes, Kurt. 2001. Wood use in Colorado at the turn of the twenty-first century.
Research Paper RMRS-RP-32. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky
Mountain Research Station. 23 p.
This study estimates the kinds, uses, amount, and retail value of wood products consumed annually in
Colorado from 1997 to 2000. Colorado uses tremendous amounts of wood products, but it imports most of
it from other states and countries despite the abundant forests in Colorado that are capable of providing
many types of wood products.
Keywords: wood, wood use, lumber, logging, construction, forest health, fire
The Authors
Dr. Dennis L. Lynch is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Forest Sciences, College of Natural Resources, Colorado State
University. He served as a professor in the Department for the past 25 years. During the last seven years he has been involved
in research related to forest restoration and wood utilization in Colorado through a partnership with the Colorado State Forest
Service, Region 2 of the USDA Forest Service, and the Department. He initiated research on this study in 1996.
Dr. Kurt Mackes is Assistant Professor in the Department of Forest Sciences. Dr. Mackes joined Dr. Lynch in this research
as well as research related to wood utilization. He currently is the key contact for wood science research and information
concerning this report.
Both authors may be contacted at:
Department of Forest Sciences
Colorado State University
Fort Collins, Colorado 80523
Research sponsors: Colorado State Forest Service; Colorado State University; and USDA Forest Service Region 2, and State
and Private Forestry.
You may order additional copies of this publication by sending your
mailing information in label form through one of the following media.
Please specify the publication title and series number.
Fort Collins Service Center
Telephone
(970) 498-1392
FAX
(970) 498-1396
E-mail
Web site
Mailing Address
rschneider@fs.fed.us
http://www.fs.fed.us/rm
Publications Distribution
Rocky Mountain Research Station
240 West Prospect Road
Fort Collins, CO 80526
Contents
Introduction ............................................................................................................................................... 1
Methodology ............................................................................................................................................. 1
Wood Use Estimates by Category ............................................................................................................. 2
Residential Framing Lumber and Structural Panels ......................................................................... 2
Wood Components Used in Housing ................................................................................................ 3
Log Home Construction .................................................................................................................... 3
Mobile Home Construction .............................................................................................................. 4
Commercial, Industrial, and Institutional Building Construction .................................................... 4
Residential Home Remodeling ......................................................................................................... 4
Landscape Timbers ........................................................................................................................... 5
Landscape Mulch .............................................................................................................................. 5
Wood Fencing ................................................................................................................................... 5
Decking ............................................................................................................................................. 6
Wood Furniture ................................................................................................................................. 6
Utility Poles ....................................................................................................................................... 7
Wood in Transportation ..................................................................................................................... 7
Pallet Lumber .................................................................................................................................... 8
Wood Use in Mining ......................................................................................................................... 9
Animal Bedding .............................................................................................................................. 10
Christmas Trees ............................................................................................................................... 12
Paper Products ................................................................................................................................ 12
Wood Energy ................................................................................................................................... 13
Other Wood Products Used in Colorado
(Evidence is insufficient to estimate volumes and values) ....................................................... 15
Summary of Volumes and Values for Wood Products ............................................................................ 16
Understanding the Numbers .................................................................................................................... 19
Where Does the Wood Come From? ....................................................................................................... 20
Softwood Lumber From the West, South, and Canada .................................................................. 20
Wood Products From Mexico ......................................................................................................... 21
Production of Wood Products From Colorado Forests ........................................................................... 22
Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................... 23
i
Acknowledgments
We thank the many people who assisted us with this study. In particular we thank our research associates, Sara McConahy and Gary Leader, who participated in early efforts to find data. We also especially
thank the people who responded to our telephone calls, answered our surveys, and shared their knowledge of wood use in Colorado with us. The information they provided has helped us put this puzzle
together. We recognize there are still pieces missing, but we believe it is time to make this information
available. Finally, we are definitely grateful to our reviewers who took the time to critique this report and
offer constructive suggestions prior to publication.
The reviewers were:
Dr. Joyce Berry, Assistant Dean, College of Natural Resources, Colorado State University
Dr. Dave Betters, Professor, Department of Forest Sciences, Colorado State University
Barbara Charnes, Coloradans for Clean Air and Western Biomass Consortium, Denver, CO
Chuck Dennis, Forester for Denver Water Board, Broomfield, CO
Joe Duda, President, Colorado Timber Industry Association, South Fork, CO
Ron Gosnell, Area Forester, Colorado State Forest Service
Dan Len, Western Small Diameter Wood Specialist, USDA Forest Service
Dr. Sue LeVan, Assistant Director, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, WI
Dr. Pete Morton, Forest Economist, The Wilderness Society, Denver, CO
Lucy Nolan, Coloradans for Clean Air, Denver, CO
Tim Reader, Forest Product Specialist, Four Corners Initiative, Durango, CO
Phil Schwolert, Forest Management Division, Colorado State Forest Service
Dr. Craig Shuler, Professor, Department of Forest Sciences, Colorado State University
Dr. Susan Stafford, Department Head, Department of Forest Sciences, Colorado State University
Tom Thompson, Deputy Regional Forester, Region 2, USDA Forest Service
Bill Wilcox, Assistant State Forester, Colorado State Forest Service
Bruce Wilson, Group Leader Timber Sale Preparation, Region 2, Forest Service
Dr. Tom Wolf, Forester and Author, Taos, New Mexico
ii
Executive Summary
Based on four years of analysis, this study estimates the kinds, uses, amount, and retail value of wood
products consumed annually in Colorado. It also shows where these products came from.
At the turn of this century, during the years 1997 through 2000, Colorado was using on a yearly basis:
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1.047 billion board feet of lumber valued at $628.6 million.
25.08 million board feet of timbers valued at $14.97 million.
$16.86 million of other sawn wood products.
791.24 million square feet of panels valued at $267.8 million.
60.75 million board feet of roundwood valued at $62.3 million.
495,000 Christmas trees valued at $11.6 million.
$32 million of wood energy products including firewood, firelogs, and wood pellets.
1.4 million cubic yards of mulch, chips, and sawdust valued at $14.2 million.
In addition, Colorado annually used $3.051 billion worth of value-added wood products including doors,
cabinets, molding, flooring, windows, furniture, paper products, and engineered wood products and composites.
In most wood product categories, 90% to 100% of the materials were imported. Key states exporting
wood products to Colorado included Oregon, Idaho, Washington, California, Montana, Louisiana, Arkansas, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Canada provided 25% of lumber and 60% of structural panels consumed in Colorado. Mexico shipped firewood, rough lumber, and timbers valued at $220,000 per year
and this amount is expected to increase under NAFTA.
In 1999, Colorado’s forests produced 109.8 million board feet of wood used for lumber, timbers,
firewood, and panels, or approximately 8% of the total amount of wood used in Colorado. Some of this
wood was sent to Wyoming or New Mexico for processing. The location of some Colorado processing
plants also resulted in products being shipped to adjacent states.
While Colorado has marvelous wood markets and abundant forests, it depends on other states and
countries for the wood it uses. Significant amounts of money are transferred from Colorado’s economy to
other economies to pay for this wood. Excellent opportunities exist to improve forest health and reduce
catastrophic fires by using wood, particularly small diameter trees, from Colorado forests.
Using imported wood has other policy and management implications as well. These concerns will be
addressed in subsequent papers.
iii
Wood Use in Colorado at the Turn
of the Twenty-First Century
Dennis L. Lynch
Kurt Mackes
Introduction
Wood is one of the most useful natural materials available.
It is easy to work with, possesses natural beauty, insulates efficiently, is relatively lightweight, and yet is quite strong. It is
renewable: trees grow more of it each year and in the process
cleanse the air, produce oxygen, sequester carbon, retain soil,
and provide beautiful scenery. In Colorado, substantial population growth and natural resource consumption are occurring. This creates tremendous demand for wood-based
construction materials and other types of wood products. Our
study focused on several key questions about wood use:
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What amount of wood is consumed in Colorado each year?
What are the principal uses for wood?
What kinds of wood are used and where does it come from?
How much money is spent on wood products each year?
How much wood comes from Colorado and how much
comes from other states or countries?
Methodology
When we started this study four years ago, we found little
current information on wood consumption in Colorado. Previous studies had been very well done (Donnelly, Worth, Hasty,
Aitken, and Morgan 1983; Smego, Switzer, Betters, Donnelly,
and Worth 1984) but are now dated and only partially reflect the
increasingly urban population that now characterizes Colorado.
Finding and developing current data on wood use has been difficult and frustrating. The total picture still has not been fully
developed and research will need to continue for some time.
However, we compiled a good estimate of the major volumes
and values of wood used in Colorado for publication, as well
as a process to monitor, update, and improve these data in the
future.
Measurements presented in this study may be confusing.
Terms like board feet, square feet, lineal feet, and cubic yards
USDA Forest Service Research Paper RMRS-RP-32. 2001
are not common measurement units for many people. Board
feet and cubic yards are measures of volume. One board foot
is 12" wide, 12" long, and 1" thick. A cubic yard measures 3'
by 3' by 3' and contains 27 cubic feet. While a square foot of
panel is a measure of area, the industry uses 3/8" as a standard. Therefore, in a sense a square foot also has a volume
aspect. A lineal foot is, of course, a measure of length. These
measures are used because they are common to the industry
and the data sources use them. Later, an attempt is made to
place them in a different and perhaps more understandable
perspective.
Retail values are used because wholesale values are difficult to obtain and to avoid betraying the confidences of the
people interviewed. Retail values also best reflect the marketplace and competition that exists there. We calculated retail
values by multiplying the amount (units) of a wood product
consumed by the average unit value (retail) of that product.
Generally, unless otherwise specified, we used the average
retail value for the year in which we collected consumption
data for the product.
This study provides only estimates of wood use in Colorado. Both usage and market values fluctuate considerably
over time. Estimates are only valid for the time periods considered and represent only a snapshot in time. Although we
attempted to be thorough in pursuit of information and accurate in calculations, developing exact numbers for all wood
products used in Colorado was simply beyond the available
time and budget. To develop the estimates in this report, the
following sources were used:
∑ U.S. Census Bureau information on Colorado including
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population estimates, economic census reports related to
different wood utilization, manufacturing aspects of the
economy, and shipping data.
An itemization by the National Association of Home Builders of materials used in the construction of an average threebedroom home.
Information from and telephone interviews with trade associations such as: Western Wood Products Association,
1
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National Hardwood Lumber Association, American Plywood Association, Hardwood Plywood and Veneer Association, California Redwood Association, Engineered Wood
Association, Southern Forest Products Association, Log
Home Council, Wood Products Promotion Council, National Wood Pallet and Container Association, National
Christmas Tree Association, American Forests and Paper
Association, Pellet Fuels Institute, and Cedar Shake and
Shingle Bureau.
Reports developed by the Forest Products Laboratory,
USDA Forest Service, Madison, Wisconsin.
Articles from the Forest Products Journal that presented
information on wood products and/or information on estimates of wood use.
Scientific papers and reports from individual researchers
and professional journals.
Articles from trade journals.
Written surveys sent to wood manufacturers and users.
Telephone surveys of wood purchasers, sellers, users, installers, and producers.
Telephone interviews with wood transportation agencies
such as U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Department of Commerce, Federal Railway Administration, and
transportation firms including railroad and trucking.
Personal interviews with wood producers and forest management agencies.
Field surveys to gather wood use data on-site.
Estimates from experts who manage wood use for their
organization.
Retail values for wood products from major outlets.
How accurate are estimates, given all the different methods and data sources used? At this point, better sources of
data could not be found. Where reliable data sources could
not be located, the use is simply listed with comment. In situations where we had to choose between data sources and/or
calculation methods, we chose the most conservative source
or method. New information on more accurate data sources
or methods of estimating use from readers are and will continue to be appreciated.
Sources:
Donnelly, D. M.; Worth, H. E.; Hasty, R.; Aitken, W. M.;
Morgan, M. 1983. Wood product flows and market structure in the Rocky Mountain States. Res. Bull. RM-6. Fort
Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station.
Smego, J. H.; Switzer, W. E.; Betters, D. R.; Donnelly, D. M.;
Worth, H. E. 1984. Timber utilization and marketing alternatives for Colorado and Wyoming. Res. Bull. RM-7. Fort
Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station.
2
Wood Use Estimates by
Category
Residential Framing Lumber and
Structural Panels
According to national sources, about 95% of the homes in
the United States are built of wood. The National Association
of Home Builders calculates that an average home contains
2,085 square feet of floor space, has three bedrooms and a
double garage. Such a home is constructed by building a
wooden floor frame over a concrete foundation. That frame is
covered with floor sheathing and then the walls are framed.
The walls support roof trusses and sheathing covers the entire
exterior. Siding material covers the walls, and shingles or similar materials cover the roof. Framing lumber consists of 2inch thick boards in widths of 4", 6", 8", 10", and 12" of varying
lengths starting at 8 feet and increasing by two-foot increments. Studs, also known as 2"x4"s, are the most common
boards used. Sheathing, which is typically either oriented
strand board or plywood, varies in thickness from 3/8" to 3/4"
and is 4' wide and 8' to 12' long. These may also be referred to
as structural panels.
In 1998, a total of 51,156 dwelling units were constructed
in Colorado. These consisted of single-family homes as well
as multi-family structures. Using nationally recognized wood
use figures for such dwellings, an estimated 602.7 million
board feet of framing lumber was consumed in Colorado to
construct floors, wall frames, and roof trusses. The retail value
of this framing lumber was $370.4 million. A number of firms
bring framing lumber into the state and manufacture valueadded products (such as trusses). The value of the lumber is
included in the above estimate, but the value-added portion of
such products is not.
On a 3/8" thickness basis (the industry standard), 479 million square feet of sheathing was used for floors, walls, and
roofs of new housing. The value of this sheathing was $143.1
million.
A total of 35.9 million square feet of wood-based exterior
siding and 10.5 million square feet of wood shakes or shingles
were also used in residential construction. The value of the
exterior siding was $20.9 million and the value of the shakes
and shingles was $16.6 million.
Virtually all (95%) of this home construction lumber, panels, siding, shakes, and shingles came from out-of-state. The
specifics on the importation of lumber and other wood products into Colorado are discussed in the section “Where does
the wood come from?”
The use of substitutes for wood, such as steel studs and
plastic composite lumber, has been increasing. Therefore, some
of the wood use estimated above is being taken over by substitutes. The Forest Products Journal (2000) reports that in
USDA Forest Service Research Paper RMRS-RP-32. 2001
1992, about 3% of total U.S. national lumber consumption
was being replaced by substitutes and this was expected to
grow to as much as 11% by 2003. As of this writing, there is
not a means of determining the amount of substitutes used in
Colorado. If this could be done, estimate reductions might be
in order. However, there are other uses for framing lumber
not accounted for in this study, such as in the building of sheds
and barns. Therefore, such framing lumber use may offset
substitutes used in home construction.
Sources:
Anderson, L. O. Wood frame house construction. Agric.
Handb. No.73. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service.
Colorado Building Permit Statistics.
The Engineered Wood Association.
Forest Products Journal. 2000. Clippings. 50(6): 4.
McKeever, D. B.; Phelps, R. B. 1994. Wood products used in
new single family house construction. Forest Products Journal. 44(11/12): 66–74.
National Association of Home Builders.
Southern Forest Products Association.
U.S. Census Bureau.
Western Wood Products Association.
Wood Components Used in Housing
Home construction utilizes wood products other than framing lumber, panels, siding, or shingles. In the interior of a home,
wood paneling, millwork, molding, cabinets, doors, windows,
and floor materials add utility, beauty, and warmth. According to figures adapted from the National Association of Home
Builders to Colorado dwelling units constructed in 1998, additional wood components included:
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551,000 interior doors,
229,600 closet doors,
183,700 exterior doors,
91,800 garage doors,
596,900 kitchen and bathroom cabinets,
25.6 million lineal feet of molding, and
6 million square feet of wood plank, strip, or parquet flooring.
Substitutes such as fiberglass, vinyl, metal, and plastics are
being used in place of wood in many of these components.
For example, 98% of all interior doors are wood, but only
about 10% of exterior doors are made of wood; the balance
are made of steel or fiberglass. The wood component portion
of the items listed above are valued at approximately $2 billion and virtually all wood used in these components comes
from out-of-state.
Approximately 711,000 windows were also used in dwelling units built in 1998. Window values are more difficult to
USDA Forest Service Research Paper RMRS-RP-32. 2001
estimate because of the tremendous variation in size, design,
and construction materials. Substitutes such as metal, vinyl,
and plastics are used in place of wood in many windows.
However, approximately 35% of all windows sold are wood.
The average cost of these windows was calculated at $135
each. This results in a retail value of $33.6 million for wood
windows used in Colorado. All wood used in window manufacturing comes from out-of-state.
Sources:
Forest Products Journal. 1999. Clippings–Structural wood
market forecast. 50(1): 5.
Home Depot Cabinet Department.
Lynch, D. 1999. Personal survey of Colorado millwork and
flooring firms.
Lynch, D. 1999. Telephone dwelling units survey for Colorado
cities.
Mackes, K. 1999. Survey of county building permits.
McKeever, D. B.; Phelps, R. B. 1994. Wood products used in
new single-family house construction: 1950 to 1992. Forest Products Journal. 44(11/12): 66–74.
National Association of Home Builders. 1998. Materials used
in constructing a single family home. Personal communication with Economics Department.
U.S.Census Bureau. 1995. American Housing Survey.
U.S.Census Bureau. 1997. Industry Statistics for Selected
States. Wood, Window and Door Manufacturing. Manufacturing-Industry Series.
U.S.Census Bureau. 1997. Industry Statistics for Selected
States. Cut Stock, Resawing Lunber, and Planing. Manufacturing-Industry Series.
U.S.Census Bureau. 1997. Industry Statistics for Selected
States. Other Millwork (including flooring). Manufacturing-Industry Series.
U.S.Census Bureau. 1997. Industry Statistics for Selected
States. Wood Kitchen Cabinet and Countertop Manufacturers. Manufacturing-Industry Series.
Log Home Construction
Nationally, more than 22,000 log homes were built in 1998,
accounting for 6.5% of all custom homes built in the United
States (Log Home Council). That was a 41% increase over 1988.
Colorado topped all other states with 1,500 homes built here.
There are approximately 350 log homebuilders in Colorado, usually at least one in every mountain community. Many represent
firms from out-of-state and import log homes in kit form. In
fact, most local builders import their logs from out-of-state,
because homeowners want massive logs not available from
Colorado forests. Logs may be native peeled or milled and
common species used are lodgepole pine, Engelmann spruce,
Douglas-fir, and ponderosa pine as well as various other species from many locations. States and countries that send logs
to Colorado include Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana,
3
Utah, Wyoming, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Canada, and Finland. Also, log homebuilders indicated that the sizes of these
homes are increasing. The mountain cabin or 2,000 square
foot log home is small by today’s standards. Trophy homes
are not uncommon. Approximately 4.05 million lineal feet of
logs are used annually in Colorado for log home construction.
That is equivalent to 19.2 million board feet. The value of
logs used in the Colorado log home market was $37.5 million
in 1998. The value of other wood construction products used
in log home construction is valued at an additional $25.5 million based on the cost of log home shells prior to construction.
were made using previous studies that profiled wood use in
nonresidential building construction. Wood products used in
commercial, industrial, and institutional construction in 1997
included:
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35.8 million board feet of lumber,
38.3 million square feet of structural panels,
400,000 square feet of particle and hard board,
2.7 million linear feet of I-joists,
3.8 million board feet of glulam lumber, and
65,100 square feet of structural composite lumber (SCL).
The estimated value of this material is $55.14 million.
Sources:
Log Home Council.
Telephone survey of over 50 Colorado log homebuilders.
Mobile Home Construction
Mobile homes provide affordable and relatively transportable housing for many citizens. Approximately 4,600 mobile
homes (1,300 singlewide and 3,300 doublewide) were put in
place in Colorado in 1998. There are three firms in Colorado
that build mobile homes. In 1997, these firms produced approximately 3,232 mobile home units valued at $60,281,000.
The value added by manufacturing amounted to 39% and the
cost of materials amounted to 61% of that figure. During 1997,
these firms used:
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9.75 million board feet of lumber,
1.75 million square feet of plywood,
3.15 million square feet of particleboard, and
4.21 million square feet of oriented strand board.
These products are valued at $10.6 million.
Sources:
Dickerhoof, H. Edward. 1978. Use of wood in mobile homes
is increasing. Res. Bull. FPL-4. Madison, WI: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory. 20 p.
Mackes, K. 2000. Telephone survey of Colorado mobile home
manufacturers.
U.S. Census Bureau. 1997. Manufactured home (mobile home)
manufacturing. Industry Series.
Commercial, Industrial, and Institutional
Building Construction
In 1997, the latest data available, Colorado construction
contracts amounted to nearly $3.3 billion, down sharply from
$6.5 billion in 1996. Estimates of wood use in this category
4
Sources:
Home Depot Commercial Wood Products Department.
McKeever, D.; Adair, C. 1995. Wood products used in new
nonresidential building construction. APA–The Engineered
Wood Association.
Spelter, H. 1985. A profile of the nonresidential nonbuilding
construction market for lumber and plywood. Res. Bull.
FPL-16. Madison, WI: U.S. Department of Agriculture,
Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory. 6 p.
Spelter, H.; Anderson, R. 1985. A profile of wood use in nonresidential building construction. Resour. Bull. FPL-15.
Madison, WI: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory. 22 p.
U.S. Census Bureau. 1997. Bridge and tunnel construction.
Industry Series.
U.S. Census Bureau. 1997. Water, sewer and pipeline construction. Industry Series.
U.S. Census Bureau. 1998. Construction and housing: Section 25: Statistical abstract of the U.S.
Residential Home Remodeling
In addition to new construction wood use, homeowners
continually repair and remodel their houses. In 1998, 228
million board feet of lumber were used for additions, alterations, replacements, roof repairs, and other projects. A total
of 135 million square feet of structural panels and 75 million
square feet of non-structural panels were also used for repair
and remodeling. The retail value of all remodeling material is
estimated at $255 million. It was not possible to make estimates for other wood products used in remodeling such as
millwork, flooring, or cabinets.
Sources:
McKeever, D. B.; Anderson, R. G. 1991. Wood products used
for residential repair and remodeling in the United States.
Resour. Bull. FPL-19. Madison, WI: U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory.
25 p.
USDA Forest Service Research Paper RMRS-RP-32. 2001
U.S. Census Bureau. 1998. Expenditures for residential improvements and repairs. Manufacturing and Construction
Division.
Landscape Timbers
Landscape timbers are used for building retaining walls,
decorative landscaping, and a variety of other uses. Timbers
are typically treated to resist decay and are made from fir,
hemlock, red pine, lodgepole pine, southern yellow pine, and
ponderosa pine. At present, the preferred species is southern
yellow pine because it treats well. Landscape timbers may be
sawn on four sides, sawn only on two sides, or may be recycled railroad ties. It was conservatively estimated that 10
million board feet of manufactured landscape timbers were
used in association with new residential construction and residential remodeling in 1999. Railroad ties may be reused for
landscaping. These are usually creosote treated hardwood ties
removed during railway maintenance. Survey work suggests
that an additional 1 million board feet of used railroad ties
could be added to that estimate, for a total of 11 million board
feet. The survey information coupled with national studies
indicates that Colorado’s use of all types of landscaping timbers could be as high as 18 million board feet. However, it
was not possible to substantiate that number with Colorado
firms manufacturing and selling timbers. It appears that 95%
of the timbers used come from out-of-state. Fir and hemlock
are typical of the Northwest, red pine comes from the Lake
States, lodgepole pine from the Northern and Central Rockies,
southern yellow pine from the Southeastern United States, and
ponderosa pine usually comes from Colorado or adjacent
states. Southern yellow pine is currently the dominant species
used, coming primarily from Arkansas, Maryland, and Virginia.
Landscape timbers also come to Colorado from as far away as
Oregon, Canada, and Mexico. The retail value of all landscape timbers sold in Colorado was $5.6 million in 1999.
Sources:
Mackes, K. 1999. Field survey of new residential construction in Front Range counties.
Mackes, K.; Lynch, D. 1999. Personal interviews with three
landscape timber manufacturing firms in Colorado.
McKeever, D. B.; Anderson, R. G. 1991. Wood products used
for residential repair and remodeling in the United States.
Res. Bull. FPL-RB-19. Madison, WI: U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory.
U.S. Census Bureau. 1999. Railroad shipping data.
Landscape Mulch
In Colorado, wood mulch is used as decorative and waterconservation material in landscaping. Some mulch such as
western red cedar (imported from Idaho) and redwood mulch
USDA Forest Service Research Paper RMRS-RP-32. 2001
(imported from California) is used because it initially has an
appealing red color but tends to bleach out to a shade of gray
in about three years. It was estimated that approximately
80,000 cubic yards of mulch is imported annually with a retail value of $2.8 million. Imported mulch is gradually being
replaced by mulch made from urban tree wastes and coated
with a clay-based paint to achieve several pleasing landscape
colors. A study prepared by the NEOS Corporation in 1997
for the Colorado Front Range Wood Resource Assessment
found that approximately 23,500 bone dry tons (approximately
50,000 cubic yards) were used by mulch production sources.
The estimated value of this recycled mulch is $1.3 million.
Therefore, more than 130,000 cubic yards of landscape mulch
was used in Colorado in 1997. About 60% came from out-ofstate and the remainder came primarily from urban tree wastes
within the state. This is probably an underestimate of the
amount of landscape mulch used in Colorado since many
municipalities and tree service companies create their own
mulch by chipping tree wastes. However, as of this writing,
these are the best data available on commercial use.
Decorative bark from Douglas-fir and ponderosa pine is
also imported from Oregon. This is typically sold in bags
through garden stores. Aspen bark and ponderosa pine bark is
brought to the Front Range in bulk from the western slope of
Colorado. As of this writing, estimates of quantities and values for this material cannot be made. However, it appears that
demand exceeds supply for in-state bark products.
Sources:
Lynch, D. 1999. Telephone and personal interviews with six
Colorado landscaping materials firms.
NEOS Corporation. 1997. Colorado Front Range wood resource assessment.
U.S. Census Bureau. 1999. Railroad shipping data.
Wood Fencing
Agricultural
Approximately 300,000 posts are used each year in agricultural fencing in Colorado. Agricultural fence posts are purchased primarily on post length rather than diameter. However,
the buyer typically specifies minimum diameters for posts.
Of the 300,000 posts used, about 100,000 are 4" to 6" in diameter and 8' long. About 150,000 posts are from 3" to 5"
diameter and are 6.5' long; the remaining 50,000 posts are of
varying sizes ranging from 3" to 8" diameter and from 10' to
12' long. The preferred species (about 90% of the market) is
lodgepole pine because of its relatively uniform diameter,
strength properties, and treating properties. The estimated retail value of agricultural fencing is $ 2.3 million and the volume of wood consumed is 2.25 million board feet.
5
Source:
Lynch, D. 1999. Telephone survey of three agricultural fence
construction firms.
Residential
Fences constructed in association with residences include
wood picket (board), wood rail, wood pole, plastic, and metal.
Split-rail fences predominate as a front yard fence while other
fence types are used for backyards. Wood picket fences are
most frequently used for backyards. Western red cedar is preferred because of its beauty and durability. Redwood is also
used. Cedar and redwood tend to fade to a gray color in about
three to five years. As a result, homeowners may select fencing made from other species such as pine, which is cheaper
and durable given the arid Colorado climate. Treated posts
are used to support such fences. Some pine (Pinus radiata)
fencing material comes to Colorado from South America.
Wood pole fences are made from treated lodgepole pine. Increasingly, substitutes for wood such as plastic or vinyl are
being promoted and used. It was estimated that:
∑ 38.6 million board feet of lumber are used annually for
wood picket fencing,
∑ 978,000 board feet are used for wood rail fence, and
∑ 224,000 board feet are used for residential wood pole fencing.
square foot) and 60% were contracted (costing $18 to $25 per
square foot). The average cost of a deck was $5,927. In 1999,
a total of $3 billion was spent in the United States on deck
construction.
In 1998, decks were built on 12,789 new residential units
in Colorado. The average deck size according to national surveys is 395 square feet. A computer program for decks was
used to estimate the amount of lumber used in a deck of this
size. From this, it was concluded that a total of 27.5 million
board feet of lumber were used for decks built on new construction.
Based on national remodeling and repair data, it was calculated that 44.7 million board feet of decking lumber was
used in Colorado to add decks to existing residences. Using
import information from California, it appears that 63% of
this lumber was redwood. The total retail value of deck lumber for new construction and remodeling was $47.4 million.
Sources:
California Redwood Association. 1996 and 1997 shipping data.
Mackes, K.; Lynch, D. 1998 to 1999. Telephone interviews
with approximately 10 Colorado decking suppliers.
Morris, M. 2000. Decks that don’t show their age. Todays
Homeowner Magazine. June: 60.
Qualified Remodeler Magazine. 1999. Decking survey.
U.S. Census Bureau. 1998. Housing data by state.
Weissenbacher, W. 2000. Computerized deck construction
estimate. Home Depot.
The value of residential fencing material was estimated at $25
million.
Wood Furniture
Sources:
Home Depot computer program for estimating material quantities and costs.
Mackes, K. 1999. Field survey of new residential construction in the Front Range of Colorado.
Mackes, K.; Lynch, D. 1998 and 1999. Telephone and personal interviews with over 15 Colorado fencing firms.
McKeever, D. B.; Anderson, R. G. 1991. Wood products used
for residential repair and remodeling in the United States.
Res. Bull. FPL-RB-19. Madison, WI: U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory.
Decking
In the United States, 25% of all homes have decks. The
majority of decks built during new construction or added in
residential remodeling are made from redwood lumber. Since
it is becoming increasingly difficult to secure redwood decking, some homeowners elect to use treated wood species (such
as southern yellow pine) or composite decking lumber (currently about 5% of the market). A 1999 survey estimated that
800 million to 1.2 billion board feet of lumber is used annually in the United States for decking. Approximately 40% of
decks were do-it-yourself projects (costing $12 to $18 per
6
Non-upholstered wood household furniture manufactured
in Colorado in 1997 had a cost of materials estimated at $47
million with a value of shipments estimated at $78.7 million.
Living room, family room, and den furniture amounted to
$13.3 million in value. Dining room and kitchen furniture
amounted to $6.9 million in value. Bedroom, childrens, and
outdoor furniture accounted for the balance of $58.5 million.
All of the hardwood used in this industry came from out-ofstate. Softwoods, including aspen or pine, may have come from
within Colorado where a number of furniture manufacturing
businesses produce custom-made, highly unique furniture for
use in log homes or mountain dwellings. Dead standing aspen
or lodgepole pine is preferred for this rustic furniture. As of
this writing, it is not possible to estimate the volume of wood
used by this industry in Colorado.
A study related to upholstered furniture manufacturing has
not been attempted. However, a Census Bureau manufacturing survey indicated that less than $2 million worth of upholstered furniture was produced in Colorado.
Sources:
Mackes, K.; Lynch, D. 1998 to 1999. Telephone and personal
interviews with over 10 Colorado wood furniture firms.
USDA Forest Service Research Paper RMRS-RP-32. 2001
U.S. Bureau of Census. 1997. Nonupholstered wood household furniture manufacturing. Manufacturing-Industry Series.
U.S. Census Bureau. 1997. Upholstered household furniture
manufacturing. Manufacturing –Industry Series.
Utility Poles
Most cities either bury utility lines or use fiberglass or metal
poles, but in rural areas wood poles still predominate. Since
lines must be installed over long distances, the relatively durable, flexible wood pole is preferred. There are 25 Rural Electric Association Cooperatives in Colorado that maintain 73,355
miles of line. In addition, Excel Energy (Public Service) utilizes wood poles in some of its installations. Approximately
70% of these poles are Class 6 poles, 35' in length with an 812" top and 14"-16" butt. Approximately 30% are 40' to 50' in
length. Western red cedar is preferred, but this species is becoming scarce and expensive. Therefore, most poles are southern yellow pine, Douglas-fir, or lodgepole pine that have been
treated with creosote or penta. Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association uses wood poles 70' in length on several
of its transmission lines.
In 1998, approximately 144,000 wooden utility poles were
used for new construction or replacement in Colorado. These
were valued at approximately $16.9 million and contained a
minimum of 27.4 million board feet. Approximately 30% of
these poles came from the Pacific Northwest including Canada
and the remaining 70% came from Southeastern states, particularly Alabama, South Carolina, and Florida. Very few came
from Colorado. This has not always been the case. Lodgepole
pine from Colorado makes an excellent utility pole. In years
past, trees from forests near Granby were used for poles and
shipped to Denver for treating. It should be noted that there is
also strong competition for similarly sized trees for log home
construction.
Sources:
Lynch, D. 1997 to 1998. Survey of Colorado REA Cooperatives, Western Supply Company, and Koppers Company.
Wood in Transportation
Railroad Ties
Nationally, wooden crossties, switch ties, and bridge ties
constitute critical structural components of railways. Annual
demand is primarily for replacement ties rather than new construction. Wood ties currently dominate the market, with a
93% market share. Other materials, such as concrete, make
up the difference. Historically, the advantages of wood ties
have been cost competitiveness, light weight, ease of manufacture, and ease of installation. Wooden crossties are set on
19.5" centers at a rate of approximately 3,250 per mile.
USDA Forest Service Research Paper RMRS-RP-32. 2001
However, the average number of crossties per mile, nationally, is 3,037. There are approximately 225,780 miles of railroad track in the United States with an approximate total of
685.7 million crossties. The annual replacement rate has averaged approximately 2% for the last 45 years. A conservative value is $25 per unit f.o.b. the treatment plant (Deckard
and McCurdy 1999).
Mainline railroad ties are typically 6" x 8" by either 8' 6"
or 9' in length and 7" x 9" x 8' 6" or 9' in length. Switch ties
can range from 10' to 29' in length, but typically are from 10'
to 18' in length (in one-foot increments). Bridge ties are 8" x
10" by either 8'6" or 9' in length. Ties can only have limited
knots in the rail bearing area and must be relatively free of
defects such as wane, cross grain, shake, splits, or checks.
There are approximately 3,025 miles of railroad track in
Colorado. Using national averages, there are an estimated 9.2
million ties currently in place in Colorado. At the 2% replacement rate identified by Deckard and McCurdy (1999), a total
of 183,738 new ties are needed each year in Colorado. These
have a conservative value of $4.6 million and contain an estimated 8.2 million board feet of wood. Currently, hardwoods
from out-of-state are preferred (ranging from 52% to 99% of
the ties used by different railroads), but ponderosa pine, lodgepole pine, and Douglas-fir are also desirable species. Railroads stated that their preference for hardwoods occurs, in part,
because they have difficulty procuring ties from Colorado forests. Last year only 44,000 ties came from Colorado forests and
those were cut primarily from state and private forestlands. The
demand for railroad ties should increase in Colorado during the
coming years as major railroad reconstruction projects are planned
east and west of Denver. Local production of ties within a 300 to
500 mile radius of Denver would be of interest to railroads and
strength testing of Colorado wood could help promote the use of
crossties from Colorado forests.
Sources:
Deckard, D. L.; McCurdy, D. R. 1999. An empirical test of
the materials supply strategy construct with application to
the U.S. railroad industry. Forest Products Journal. 49(11/
12): 45–50.
Lynch, D. 1998 to 1999. Telephone interviews with Union
Pacific Railroad, Burlington Northern-Santa Fe Railroad,
Federal Railway Administration, Colorado Department of
Transportation, and Koppers Industries Inc.
Street and Highway Construction
There are 9,100 miles of state administered highways in
Colorado. These include interstate, arterial, major, and minor
collectors and local highways. In 1997, Colorado spent over
$1 billion for street and highway construction projects. Lumber, bridge timbers, pilings, fence posts, guardrail posts, signs,
signposts, and a variety of other wood products are used in
street and highway construction. Estimated wood product usage for state and interstate highways in 1997 was:
7
∑ 6.9 million board feet of lumber and bridge timbers,
∑ 2.32 million lineal feet of pilings (approximately 10.9 mil∑
∑
∑
∑
lion board feet),
3.4 million board feet of guardrail,
79,685 board feet of sign posts,
79,365 fence posts (approximately 794,000 board feet) and
18.3 million square feet of wood based panels.
The estimated value of this material was $26.8 million.
Volume or value information on wood use for county, city,
and community streets or highways was not available.
In discussions with Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), it became clear that wooden signposts are being
replaced in many areas by steel posts. A recent survey by Smith,
et al (2000) found that highway decision makers rated wood
lower in overall material performance than concrete, steel and
aluminum, but higher than plastic. The most important factors in material choice were durability, maintenance, and cost.
They suggest that wood durability could be improved by use
of wood treating chemicals. They also stressed that wood use
could be encouraged in aesthetic settings and where long-term
durability is not an issue, such as in formwork, falsework, or
temporary bridges. Based on discussions with CDOT, it was
determined that most guardrail and signpost losses are not due
to decay or weathering but to vehicle accidents. Keeping material costs low while maintaining acceptable quality may,
therefore, be a more significant issue than improving durability in situations where the expected life of the material is short.
Lumber is used to construct crates for steel products. Pallets
and reels are also used. An estimated 1.1 million board feet of
lumber are used annually in truck transportation. This excludes
pallets, which are covered in the following section. The value
of this lumber is estimated at $657,000.
Sources:
Lynch, D. 1999. Telephone interviews with over 25 Colorado
trucking firms.
Railway Shipping
When shippers transport products by rail, they often line
the interior of freight cars with plywood or oriented strand
board panels to avoid contact with the freight car walls. This
depends, of course, on the product and the potential for damage either to the product or the freight car. The shipping of
steel products is an example. The panels are typically low grade
or defective. As of this writing, there is not enough data from
Colorado shippers using such panels to make an estimate of
total use. However, it has been confirmed that at least 230,400
square feet of 3/8" or 1/2" panels are currently used per year.
The estimated value of this material is $57,750.
Sources:
Lynch, D. 2000. Telephone interviews with six (two major
and four smaller) railroads and shippers.
Pallet Lumber
Sources:
Lynch, D. 2000. Telephone surveys with Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) and Western Consolidated
of Rapid City, SD.
Lynch, N.; Lynch, D. 2000. Colorado highway sign post field
survey.
Reid, W.; McKeever, D. 1978. Wood products and other materials used in constructing highways in the United States.
Resour. Bull. FPL-5. Madison, WI: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory. 19 p.
Smith, R. L.; Spradlin, W. E.; Alderman, D. R.; Cesa, E. 2000.
Perceptions of wood in the highway infrastructure market.
Forest Products Journal. 50(6): 23–31.
U.S. Census Bureau. 1997. Highway and street construction.
Industry Series.
U.S. Department of Transportation. 1995. State highway
agency administered roads and highways. Table HM 80.
Truck Transportation
Wood is used in a variety of ways by truck transportation
firms operating in Colorado. Flatbed truckers hauling steel
products are the primary users of wood. This wood is referred
to by the industry as “dunnage” and consists of lumber, in the
form of 4x4s, 2x4s, 1x4s, and 3x3s. Dunnage is commonly
used to support loads and act as spacers between lifts.
8
The National Wooden Pallet and Container Association
(Timber Producer 1999) reports there are approximately 1.9
billion pallets in use throughout the United States. Each year
400 million new pallets are produced and about 175 million
are repaired or recycled. Another 190 million are disposed of
in landfills and 35 million are diverted from the waste stream
and reprocessed into other products. Since 1993, the percentage of pallets put in landfills has been reduced from 59% to
28%. The statistics also show a net loss of 100 million pallets
each year due to recycling, abandonment, loss, taken from the
country, or burning.
It was conservatively estimated, based on a survey of all
known pallet producers in the state, that 2.5 million new pallets were manufactured in Colorado in 1997. This pallet production required 50 million board feet of lumber. Nearly 93%
of this lumber came from out of state. Softwood lumber from
the Pacific Northwest, Inland Empire, and Canada is used to
make 80% of the pallets manufactured in Colorado. Hardwood
lumber from Nebraska, Kansas, and Missouri is used for the
balance of pallet production. The majority of lumber used in
pallet manufacture is low-grade green or air seasoned lumber,
among the lowest quality lumber produced. In the survey, mills
were asked if they produced pallet lumber and one response
was, “not intentionally.” Approximately 90% of the pallets
USDA Forest Service Research Paper RMRS-RP-32. 2001
manufactured here are sold within the state. With one exception, all Colorado pallet manufacturers indicated they would
use wood from Colorado forests if it were available. Generally, all commercial timber species found in Colorado are suitable for making pallets. Reasons cited for the low volume of
Colorado wood used in manufacturing pallets were:
∑ high stumpage costs and inconsistent supply of timber from
federal lands;
∑ threat of appeals, lawsuits, and delays brought by environmental groups; and
∑ the perceived poor quality of some Colorado wood, par-
support. Props are unpeeled logs with a small end diameter of
6" and a length ranging from 5 to 11 feet. Cribbing consists of
sawn timbers that vary from 5"x 5" x 24" to 8"x8"x48". Cap
boards and wedges are used above the cribbing in contact with
the mine roof. It is very important that props, cribbing, cap
boards, and wedges are dry and without rot or defects. Varying amounts of rough sawn lumber and timbers are also used
in mining. The amounts vary significantly by mine. In addition, small amounts of finished lumber and panels are also
used.
The estimated annual use of wood products in Colorado
mines is:
ticularly ponderosa pine, from Front Range forests.
The pallet industry in Colorado has estimated gross sales
of approximately $16.25 million each year and the value of
wood used at $11 million.
Sources:
Mackes, K. 1997. A study of pallet production in Colorado.
Report by KH Consulting to Colorado State Forest Service, Colorado State University.
Mackes, K. 1998. A profile of wood supplied to pallet manufacturers by sawmills along the Front Range of Colorado.
Report to Colorado State Forest Service, Colorado State
University.
Mackes, K. H.; Lynch, D. L. April 2000. An assessment of
pallet lumber supply and manufacturing in Colorado. Forest Products Journal. 50(4): 77–80.
Resource Recovery Report. November 1999.
Timber Processing Magazine. October 1999. Report from
National Wooden Container and Pallet Association.
U.S. Census Bureau. 1997. Wood container and pallet manufacturing. Manufacturing-Industry Series.
∑ 100,500 mine props (approximately 1 million board feet),
∑ 189,000 pieces of cribbing (approximately 2.4 million board
feet),
∑ 121,500 cap boards (approximately 122,000 board feet),
∑ 300,350 wedges (approximately 150,000 board feet), and
∑ 2 million board feet of rough sawn lumber and timbers.
Finished lumber use is minor, probably less than 5,500
board feet per year. About 75% to 100% of the wood products
used in mines during 1999 came from out-of-state, principally
from Utah, Wyoming, and Oregon, but also from Washington,
Idaho, and Montana. Mine companies indicated that they prefer
to buy this material from within Colorado if a supply was available at a competitive price. The estimated value of this market is
$3 million annually.
Surface mining
Contact with people involved in surface mining indicated
that little wood is used either as lumber, timbers, panels, or
mulch in mining or reclamation.
Hardrock Mining
Wood Use in Mining
Coal Mining
Underground mining
Colorado had 10 active underground coal mines in 1999
that produced 20,470,268 tons of coal. While wood use in
underground mining has decreased from past levels, a substantial amount of wood is still being used. Underground coal
mines may be classified either as room and pillar or long wall
mines, depending on the type of roof plan used. Room and
pillar mines typically use less wood than long wall mines because pillars of coal are left as support material. Long wall
mines employ numerous roof support devices. However, each
mine has its own roof plan and means of support, so every
mine uses a different amount of wood. Some mines use small
round logs known as “props” for roof support. However, many
mines use “cans,” a steel sleeve filled with concrete, topped
with wooden cribbing and cap boards with wedges as roof
USDA Forest Service Research Paper RMRS-RP-32. 2001
There are approximately 340 to 350 hardrock mines in
Colorado. The majority mine precious metals and may be essentially inactive as of this writing. Mines also produce molybdenum, zinc, lead, tungsten, limestone, marble, and other
minerals. Many are small business operations, some with only
two or three employees. The largest mine in Colorado is the
Henderson mine which produces molybdenum. Mine timbers,
cribbing, cap boards, wedges, and miscellaneous rough sawn
and finished lumber may be used in these mines. Some of the
products used include rough sawn timbers in dimensions such
as 6"x8"x20', 2"x4"x16', 4"x4"x20', 2"x12"x20', and
3"x12"x20' pieces. A unique product used in hardrock mining
is a vertical grain 1"x2"x14' piece known as a “bomb stick.”
It is used to put dynamite into holes for blasting.
Due to the wide variation and number of mines in this industry it is very difficult to estimate the volume of material
used. However, based on a survey of mine operators, it is very
conservatively estimated that at least 100,000 board feet of
wood are currently used, having a value of $40,000.
9
Sources:
Lynch, D. 2000. Telephone surveys of mine purchasing agents
for all Colorado coal mines and approximately 10 hardrock
mines, Colorado Division of Minerals and Geology, Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation, and Enforcement,
Mine Safety and Health Administration, and interviews of
forest product businesses supplying the mining industry.
Animal Bedding
Wood shavings and chips are used extensively for domestic livestock, pets (companion animals), and laboratory animal bedding in Colorado. A 1997 study by the American
Veterinary Medical Association (AMVA) indicated that the
most popular pets in the United States are, in order of popularity, dogs, cats, horses, fish, rabbits, small mammals, birds,
and reptiles. The use of wood bedding material was investigated for those animals most likely to require it.
Cattle
Beef cattle seldom require bedding material and no data
was found indicating that wood bedding materials are used on
a regular or substantial basis. On the other hand, bedding
material is very important to dairy cows. Dry bedding must
be provided to protect cows and prevent mastitis, an inflammation of the udder caused by an infection that prevents milk
production. A number of materials are used for bedding, such
as rubber tire chips, cornstalks, straw from grain crops, and
wood shavings or sawdust. Of this, dried wood shavings and/
or sawdust are preferred. Green or wet sawdust is not used. In
1999, Colorado had 189 dairy farms with approximately
90,000 dairy cows. Of these, 80% of the farms used wood
shavings or sawdust for bedding material. Bedding may be
changed as often as three times per week or may not need
changing depending upon weather conditions. An average
dairy operation will use approximately 650 cubic yards per
year. Therefore, 122,850 cubic yards of dry shavings and/or
sawdust are used by the dairy industry in Colorado each year.
On the western slope and in the San Luis Valley, material is
obtained from local sources. In eastern Colorado most bedding material is trucked in from Wyoming, New Mexico, or
from West Slope sources. The retail value of this material is
approximately $860,000. After use, bedding material is mixed
with cow manure to create compost that is sold to recover
costs.
Sources:
Colorado Department of Health and the Environment. 2000.
List of Colorado Grade A Dairy Producers.
Lynch, D. 2000. Telephone survey of four dairy bedding suppliers.
U.S. Census of Agriculture. 1997. Highlights of Agriculture.
10
Wailes, W., Dairy Extension Specialist. Colorado State University. [personal comm.]
Horses
Surveys conducted by Equine Science and Cooperative
Extension at Colorado State University indicate that there are
approximately 192,000 horses in Colorado (American Horse
Council 1987; Swinker and Johnson 1995). Of these, approximately 17,000 horses are stall bedded using wood shavings
and chips (80%) or sawdust (18%) for bedding. Wood is often
preferred over straw, cow hay, bark, or cornstalks because it is
less likely to contain harmful bacteria, fungi, or endotoxins
(Tanner and Swinker 1998). Such pathogens can cause respiratory illness (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) in
horses. An average 1,000 pound horse can generate 8 to 10
tons of manure each year, accumulating at the rate of as much
as 2 ft3 /day, including bedding (Swinker and Johnson 1995).
Bedding consumption, as estimated by Swinker from surveys
with horse owners, was 24.7 cubic feet per day for show or
breeding horses. If this usage is correct, over 5.5 million cubic yards of wood chips and sawdust are used each year for
stall bedded horses. However, in interviews with both wood
bedding suppliers and stall cleaning businesses, these numbers were questioned. Some suggested that stall cleaning was
really only done once a week. In that case, a total of 802,275
cubic yards per year would have been used. Since it cannot be
determined which estimate is correct, the most conservative
estimate that approximately 802,000 cubic yards are currently
used for horse bedding is accepted. The retail estimated value
of that quantity for 1999 is $8 million.
Sources:
American Horse Council. 1987. The economic impact of the
U.S. horse industry. Washington, DC: Peat, Marwick, and
Mitchell and Company, Policy Economics Group.
Lynch, D. Telephone survey of over 25 bedding suppliers and
stall cleaning businesses.
Swinker, A., Equine Specialist. Fort Collins, CO: Colorado
State University, Cooperative Extension.
Swinker, A.; Johnson, D. 1995. Equine industries manure disposal practices, variations and magnitude. The Professional
Animal Scientist. 11: 210–213.
Swinker, A.; Tanner, M.; Johnson, D.; Benner, L. 1998.
Composting characteristics of three bedding materials. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science. 18(7): 462–467.
Tanner, M.; Swinker, A.; [and others]. 1998. Effect of phone
book paper versus sawdust and straw bedding on the
presence of airborne gram-negative bacteria, fungi, and
endotoxin in horse stalls. Journal of Equine Veterinary
Science. 18(7): 457–461.
Tanner, M.; Swinker, A.; [and others]. 1998. Respiratory and
environmental effects of recycled phone book paper versus sawdust as bedding for horses. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science. 18(7): 468.
USDA Forest Service Research Paper RMRS-RP-32. 2001
Turkeys and Chickens
Colorado produces between 3.9 million (1997) and 4.9
million (1994) turkeys per year (USDA 1998). Eggs are
typically imported from out-of-state and hatched in Colorado. The birds are raised for 22-23 weeks to the time of
slaughter. Wood shavings are preferred bedding material,
but shavings must be dry and free of bark to reduce mold
spores. Approximately 45,000 cubic yards of shavings are
used per year for turkey production. Most of these shavings come from out-of-state, but some shavings are supplied from southern and western Colorado.
About 3.8 million chickens are raised in Colorado for egg
production (U.S.Census of Agriculture 1997). Nearly all egg
producers use slatted floors in chicken houses and do not use
wood shavings. However, a few producers provide scratch
areas where wood chips and sawdust are used. Approximately
30,000 cubic yards of chips and sawdust are used per year for
chickens. The retail value of bedding used for turkeys and
chickens in 1999 was $900,000.
Sources:
Lynch, D. 1999. Telephone survey of one Colorado turkey
and three chicken producers.
U.S. Census of Agriculture. 1997. Highlights of Agriculture:
1997 and 1992 Colorado, Livestock and Poultry.
USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. 1998. Turkeys:
Final estimates by state, 1994-1997. Statistical Bulletin 945.
Small Mammals
The estimated number of Colorado households that own
small mammals (such as rabbits, guinea pigs, ferrets, hamsters, gerbils, and other rodents including rats and mice) as
pets (companion animals) was derived from a national survey
of pet ownership by American Veterinary Medical Association (1997). It was estimated that pet ownership in Colorado
includes:
∑
∑
∑
∑
∑
∑
75,100 rabbits,
16,600 guinea pigs,
12,000 ferrets,
28,500 hamsters,
11,600 gerbils, and
16,000 other rodents.
Aspen shavings and sawdust are considered by veterinarians to be a superior bedding for these animals, but it is
not available at most outlets. Pine and cedar bedding are
more available and widely used. It may also be more desirable to pet owners since pine and cedar odors tend to mask
animal odors. Chlorophyll may be added to bedding, but
the benefits are unclear. Changing bedding once a week is
recommended for hamsters, gerbils, mice, and rats while
changing twice a week is recommended for guinea pigs and
USDA Forest Service Research Paper RMRS-RP-32. 2001
rabbits, and changing three times a week is recommended
for ferrets.
Bedding and litter are marketed in 500 cubic inch to 5
cubic feet bags. Based on estimates of Colorado pet populations and recommended pet care guidelines, bedding consumption approximates 282,370 cubic yards annually. It was
likely that most of this bedding is sent to the landfill after
use. The estimated 1999 retail value of small mammal bedding is $229 million. Manufacturers supplying Colorado
outlets are primarily located in the North East-Central region including Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin.
Sources:
American Pet Products Manufacturers Association. 1997.
National Pet Owners Survey.
American Veterinary Medical Association. 1997. U.S. Pet
Ownership and Demographic Sourcebook.
Mackes, K. H.; Lynch, D. L. 1999. The use of wood shavings
and sawdust as bedding and litter for small pet mammals
in Colorado. Department of Forest Sciences Report.
Laboratory Animals
Aspen shavings and heat-treated hardwood chips are used
extensively and almost exclusively for research animal bedding because aspen shavings and chips are absorbent and benign. Aspen does not give off aromatic hydrocarbons as do
pine and cedar. Aromatic hydrocarbons can cause irritations
and contribute to respiratory diseases in small mammals. Such
introduced variables could affect research results. Aspen shavings and chips are purchased from out-of-state in bulk quantities packaged in 32 to 40 pound bags. White fir shavings also
hold promise for bedding based on recent research (Mackes,
et al., in press).
As of this writing, it has not been possible to determine the
demographics of all research animals in Colorado. However, there is information for research facilities related to
major universities and research hospitals in Colorado. Between 62.2 tons of aspen shavings and 263.7 tons of aspenhardwood chips are used for animal bedding by these
facilities annually. This is a volume of 1,860 cubic yards.
All this bedding comes from out-of-state, principally from
the northeastern states. The retail value of this material in
1999 was $132,600.
Sources:
Mackes, K.; French, E.; Lynch, D.; Ward, J. [In press]. The
use of white fir as bedding for research animals. Forest
Products Journal.
Mackes, K.; Lynch, D. 1999 and 2000. Telephone and personal interviews with University laboratory and health facility animal managers.
11
Christmas Trees
Paper Products
Christmas trees have been sold commercially in the United
States since about 1850. Until fairly recently, all Christmas
trees came from natural forests. Today there are about
15,000 tree growers in the United States with over one million acres planted to Christmas trees. Each year Christmas
tree farmers plant about 56 million trees and the industry
employs over 100,000 people. It takes six to ten years to
produce a mature Christmas tree and almost all trees require shearing to attain a desirable shape. The industry refers to living trees as “real” trees versus artificial trees. They
point out that real trees are a renewable and recyclable resource and that each acre of trees provides the daily oxygen requirement for 18 people.
Oregon, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Washington, and Wisconsin are the top Christmas tree producing
states, but trees are grown in all 50 states. Oregon, the leading
producer, sold about 8.6 million trees in 1998. Canada is also
a large producer of trees. The top selling Christmas trees are
balsam fir, Douglas-fir, Fraser fir, noble fir, Scotch pine,
Virginia pine, and white pine.
A national survey of consumers indicated that 59% recycle their natural Christmas tree into biodegradable products like landscape mulch, erosion control, or wildlife
habitat. In contrast, artificial trees contain non-biodegradable plastics and metals. The average life of an artificial
tree is about 6 years, at which point it typically ends up in
the landfill. Most artificial trees are manufactured in Korea,
Taiwan, or Hong Kong.
A Gallup poll conducted for the National Christmas Tree
Association reported 33.7 million real Christmas trees were
sold in the United States in 1998 and 35.4 million in 1999.
Using national figures on a per capita basis, it was estimated
that 495,000 real Christmas trees were sold in Colorado in
1998 and 526,000 trees were sold in 1999. The Colorado
Christmas Tree Association estimated that 90% of the trees
sold in Colorado came from out-of-state. Of the 10% sold that
came from within Colorado, most were naturally grown on
private, state, or federal lands and only a small portion were
from Christmas tree plantations.
The retail value for 1999 sales in Colorado was conservatively estimated at $11.6 million.
Estimates for all types of paper products, excluding hardboard, wet machine board, and construction grades, are based
on national per capita consumption rates applied to Colorado
population numbers. It includes mixed grades of paper, newspaper, phone books, corrugated cardboard, and paperboard.
National per capita use estimates vary from 728 pounds per
person (AF&PA) to 743 pounds (FPL) to 749 pounds (SAF).
The 743 pound estimate by FPL for 1997, which includes 407
pounds of paper and 336 pounds of paperboard, is believed to
be the most recent and accurate. FPL also estimates national
paper and paperboard recycling rates at 45.2% for 1997 and
45.4% for 1996. FPL calculates that for each ton of paper or
paperboard produced, approximately 63% is wood pulp, 36%
is waste paper, and the balance is other fibrous material. Paper can be recycled only five to eight times before the fibers
in the paper become too short and weak to be reused.
Based on Colorado’s 1999 population estimates, current
paper and paperboard consumption is calculated at 1,506,853
tons annually. Of this, 825,423 tons were paper and 681,430
tons were paperboard. If Colorado recycling corresponds to
1997 national trends, a total of 681,098 tons or approximately
336 pounds per person should have been recycled. As a cross
check, Larimer County Recycling (LCR) estimates that 70%
of the county residents participated in the recycling program
in 1999. LCR recorded a total of 53,905,715 pounds of paper
and paperboard recycled in 1999. That amounts to approximately 333 pounds per resident who participated and is quite
close to the national rate.
To provide a rough approximation of the value of paper
and paperboard used in Colorado, July 1999 prices of newsprint, uncoated and coated paper, directory, and kraft paper
were used to develop a weighted average price of $768.40 per
ton. July 1999 prices for linerboard, boxboard, carton stock,
and corrugated material were used to develop a weighted average price of $484.50 per ton (Purchasing 1999). This is the
value for stock prior to printing or fabrication into products.
On that basis, the value for paper used in Colorado is approximately $634.26 million and the value of paperboard is approximately $330.15 million.
Sources:
Evashenko, D. 2000. Personal interview. National Christmas
Tree Association, St. Louis, MO.
Lynch, D. 2000 Telephone interviews with Colorado Christmas Tree Association Officers.
University of Illinois Extension. 2000. Christmas Trees and
More Web site. Urbana, IL. http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/
hort/trees.html
12
Sources:
American Forests and Paper Association (AF&PA). Personal
correspondence.
Howard, J. L. 1997. U.S. timber production, trade, consumption and price statistics 1965-1997. Gen. Tech. Rep. FPLGTR-116. Madison, WI: U.S. Department of Agriculture,
Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory. 76 p.
Lynch, D. 1999. Interviews with Larimer County Recycling.
Purchasing Magazine.1999. Economy: Prices for paper and
newsprint. Web site.
Society of American Foresters (SAF) Web site. http://
www.safnet.org/
USDA Forest Service Research Paper RMRS-RP-32. 2001
Wood Energy
Firewood
Firewood use in Colorado reached a peak during the energy shortage years of the 1970s and 1980s. Ryan and Betters
(1982) surveyed households and fuelwood vendors in the state.
They found that during the period 1977 to 1980, fuelwood
consumption ranged from 660,200 cords to 1,027,000 cords.
The percent of households burning wood ranged from 33% in
the northern Front Range to 71% in mountain communities.
Households typically burned an average of 1.9 to 2.2 cords
annually during that period. In 1982, McLain and Booth conducted a random survey of households and estimated
Colorado’s fuelwood harvest at 504,679 cords. In 1986, Olsen
and Betters (1989) conducted a survey of domestic fuelwood
consumption and supply in Colorado. They found that between
1983 and 1986, total fuelwood consumed declined from
1,111,000 cords to 1,107,000 cords. During that period, 53%
to 56% of households burned an average of 1.6 cords annually. The average price paid for cord at that time was $91.
They noted that consumption appeared to be trending lower.
Since that time, air pollution restrictions and incentives for
citizens to convert to cleaner burning heating devices (gas log
fireplaces, pellet stoves, etc.) have substantially reduced firewood consumption. In 1999, approximately 8,911 cords of
firewood were cut from National Forest lands and 13,504 cords
were cut from state and private forestlands for a total of 22,415
cords.
The current firewood market can be divided into:
∑ Consumer purchases of small bundles (approximately 1
∑
∑
cubic foot per bundle) at major supermarkets or convenience stores.
Bulk purchases (by the cord) by serious firewood users from
local firewood dealers.
Individuals harvesting their own firewood under permit
from public lands or from private landowners.
A survey of major supermarket-convenience stores in
Colorado found that approximately 8,000 cords are sold in
small bundles to consumers each year. Approximately 60%
of this firewood (4,800 cords) came from within Colorado
and 40% (3,200 cords) came from Idaho, Montana, and
Canada. Surprisingly, one chain of supermarkets sells Canadian firewood during the summer to campers in the mountains of Colorado. Firms within Colorado that produce
firewood for the small bundle market indicated that they typically couldn’t get a consistent supply of wood from Colorado
forests to meet the demand. The estimated retail value of 1999
small bundle sales was $2.96 million.
On the other hand, the bulk firewood market and individual
firewood harvest is very fragmented and difficult to survey.
USDA Forest Service Research Paper RMRS-RP-32. 2001
Oak firewood is coming in bulk from Mexico and being used
by ski area resorts in the winter (Aguirre-Bravo 2000). Betters, Markstrom and Aukerman (1990) noted from their survey that there appeared to be a recreational value of from $6
to $12 per cord associated with fuelwood collecting by individuals. About 25% of the people surveyed indicated that
“pleasure of collecting” was a key reason for fuelwood gathering. Using data from private, state, and federal forest managers, 17,715 cords were sold in the bulk market or harvested
by individuals statewide in 1999. The retail value of this material was $17.7 million.
Therefore, the volume of all firewood used in Colorado
from forestlands or imported from other states was 30,415
cords or approximately 15 million board feet. Note that this
does not include firewood from orchards, municipal tree
wastes, windbreaks, firewood sales from private lands that
were not administered by Colorado State Forest Service, or
hardwood firewood imported in bulk from out-of-state. Some
small bundle firewood may have come from wood residues
(such as slabs and end pieces) remaining after sawmilling but
no estimates of quantities could be developed.
Sources:
Aguirre-Bravo, C. 2000. Personal communication. Rocky
Mountain Research Station. USDA Forest Service.
Betters, D. R.; Markstrom, D.C.; Aukerman, R. 1990. Cost,
time, and benefit measures for personal use fuelwood collection in Colorado. Res. Pap. RM-287. Fort Collins, CO:
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky
Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station.
Lynch, D. 1999. Survey of harvest data from federal, state,
and private land managers.
Lynch, D. 1999. Telephone survey of approximately 10 supermarket and convenience outlets and telephone and personal interviews with over 10 firewood producers.
McLain, W. H.; Booth, G. D. 1985. Colorado’s 1982 fuelwood
harvest. Resour. Bull. INT-36. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station. 11 p.
Olsen, W. K.; Betters, D. R. 1989. Domestic fuelwood consumption and supply in Colorado: Characteristics, trends
and projections. Tech. Bull. TB89-1. Fort Collins, CO:
Colorado State University, Agricultural Experiment Station.
Ryan, P. P.; Betters, D. R. 1982. Characteristics of domestic
fuelwood consumption and supply in Colorado. Bulletin
581S. Fort Collins, CO: Colorado State University, Agricultural Experiment Station.
Firelogs
Firelogs are manufactured from wood fiber residues, such
as sawdust, that have been compressed into a log shape.
Firelogs were first manufactured in the 1920s. However, successful commercialization did not occur until 1931 when the
Potlatch Corporation developed the Pres-to-log® made
13
entirely from wood fiber. When wood fiber is compressed it
heats and exudes lignin from the wood cell walls. In this log,
lignin acted as a binder or glue for the sawdust particles. Initial production in 1931 amounted to 375,000 firelogs and by
1942 production reached 42.6 million. A derivative firelog
was developed in 1963, known as a chem-firelog. It is a combination of compressed wood fiber and petroleum based wax.
The addition of wax improves binding of particles, improves
handling properties during transport, and results in different
burning characteristics. Some chem-log manufacturers claim
their products generate 60% fewer emissions than conventional firewood.
Commercialization of the chem-firelog began in 1968 with
production of the Duraflame® firelog. Currently, six companies compete nationally in the market producing brands such
as Pres-to-log®, Duraflame®, Pine Mountain®, Starterlog®,
Northland®, Hearthside®, and private labels associated with
supermarkets. A firelog manufacturing firm operated in
Colorado during the 1980s but reportedly was forced to
close because of a lack of consistent raw material supply.
The growth rate for firelog sales during the 1990s averaged
9.7% per year and total national sales in 1998 exceeded $135
million. Approximately 70% of firelog sales occur at supermarkets as a result of impulse buying during winter storms.
Sales may start as early as September and last until March or
April. Winter weather and attractive displays are critical to
sales.
Based on a survey, 1.2 million firelogs were purchased in
Colorado during 1999 and 100% of these came from out-ofstate. The retail value of this imported product amounts to
more than $2.5 million.
Sources:
Lynch, D. 1999. Telephone survey of approximately 10 supermarket and convenience stores.
Shook, R. S. 1999. Profile of the Pacific Coast manufactured
firelog market. Forest Products Journal. 49(11/12): 35.
Supermarket Business Trade Journal. July 1995. Hot topic.
Supermarket Business Trade Journal. August 1996. Placing
for the storm.
Wood Pellets
Pellet stoves offer enjoyable heating with minimal air pollution. In 1992, Colorado sponsored the “Great Stove and Fireplace Changeout” as an effort to reduce air pollution from
open fireplace and wood stove burning. Wood pellet stoves
were one response to that program. In 1993, the NEOS Corporation published a study of the potential for pellet producing plants in Colorado. The study estimated that 44,000 tons
of wood pellets were being consumed annually in Colorado at
that time. They estimated demand could increase to as much
as 300,000 tons and opportunities for pellet production within
the state were analyzed. Several potential plant locations were
14
reviewed in considerable depth, but a lack of a consistent supply source of raw material kept any from being built.
Currently, 100% of all wood pellets come from out-of-state.
Pellets come primarily from South Dakota, Wyoming, Utah,
Arizona, and Arkansas. However, the demand envisioned in
1992 failed to materialize. Wood pellet consumption in the
state during 1999 amounted to 50,000 tons, based on interviews with the Pellet Fuels Institute and pellet manufacturers
supplying Colorado. Since 1999 was a mild winter, it is likely
that during an average winter, pellet consumption would approximate 60,000 tons. The retail value of the 1999 consumption is estimated at $8.8 million.
Sources:
Lynch, D. 1999. Telephone interviews with over 10 pellet sales
outlets in Colorado.
Lynch, D. 1999. Telephone interview with Pellet Fuels Institute, Arlington, VA.
Lynch, D. 1999. Telephone survey of five pellet manufacturers in Wyoming, South Dakota, Arizona, and Utah.
NEOS Corporation. 1993. Wood pellet manufacturing in
Colorado: An opportunity analysis. State of Colorado,
Office of Energy Conservation.
Biomass Energy from Wood Wastes
Biomass fuels amount to about 3% of total U.S. energy
consumption. Most consumption occurs in the South (49%)
while the West consumes about 21%. Biomass wastes consist
of municipal solid waste, manufacturing waste, agricultural
waste and wood residues. In 1992, an estimated 457 trillion
Btu of energy was produced from solid waste. Mass burning
of municipal solid waste provided 68% of this energy, burning of manufacturing wastes supplied 17%, and landfill gas
recovery supplied 15%. The largest portion of this energy was
consumed in the Northeast. Total wood biomass consumption in 1992 produced 2,249 trillion Btu. The industrial sector
was the largest wood biomass consumer, accounting for about
71% of the U.S. total.
Several studies have been done in Colorado examining
wood waste potential as an energy source (Ward et al. 2000).
Certainly the volume of yard wastes, municipal tree wastes,
and construction wood wastes are a concern for landfill operators across the state. The ultimate degradation of such wastes
into carbon dioxide and methane gases is an additional concern. Alcohols, such as ethanol and methanol, can be produced
from biomass feedstocks. Biomass-derived alcohols are renewable and are used as an additive to gasoline. Ethanol has
been marketed since 1979 in Colorado as an octane enhancer.
Production from agricultural products approximates 1.5 million gallons. Ethanol production from wood waste has been
investigated enthusiastically, but questions about plant construction costs, government subsidies, and raw material supply have caused concern. As electric power deregulation moves
across the country, opportunities for the use of renewable
USDA Forest Service Research Paper RMRS-RP-32. 2001
energy sources, including wood biomass fuels, become more
interesting. The use of wood waste as a source of energy for a
variety of manufacturing applications is also intriguing. At
one time during the 1970s energy crisis, wood wastes were
used for heating greenhouses in Colorado. Wood waste energy for cement manufacture is currently under study by the
authors and the industry at the time of this publication.
As of this writing, however, there is no documented evidence of wood biomass being used in Colorado as a commercial energy fuel. Low cost, high quality fossil fuels remain
competitive in the marketplace and some wood wastes have
the potential to be converted into higher value products (Cesa
et al. 1994).
Sources:
Cesa, E. T.; Lempicki, E. A.; Knotts, J. H. 1994. Recycling
municipal trees. Publication NA-TP-02-94. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northeastern Area.
Coloradans for Clean Air. 1997. Ethanol fuel.
National Renewable Energy Laboratory. 1996. Biofuels research at NREL.
NEOS Corporation. 1997. Colorado Front Range wood resource assessment.
U.S. Department of Energy. 1994. Estimates of U.S. biomass
energy consumption–1992.
Ward, J. E.; Mackes, K. H.; Lynch, D. 2000. Availability of
wood wastes and residues as a potential fuel source. Fort
Collins, CO: Colorado State University, Department of
Forest Sciences.
Other Wood Products Used in Colorado
(Evidence is insufficient to estimate
volumes and values)
Charcoal and Fire Starters
All charcoal, flavoring chips, and fire starters come from
out-of-state. Charcoal and flavoring chips are made from hardwoods not indigenous to Colorado. While there are possibilities for using hardwood residues left over from other product
manufacturing in Colorado, currently all firestarters are manufactured by firelog companies from out of state.
Sources:
Telephone interviews with four firestarter manufacturers.
Wood Toys and Playground Equipment
A number of artisans and woodworkers make wooden toys
in Colorado. Some of these toys are hand-carved works of art
that have the potential to become family heirlooms. At this
point, it is not possible to estimate the volume of wood used
or the value of these products.
USDA Forest Service Research Paper RMRS-RP-32. 2001
Wooden playground equipment is often made of treated
southern yellow pine from out- of-state. Equipment built within
the state from landscape timbers is included in the landscape
timber estimate. Otherwise, it is not currently possible to estimate the volume of this use and its value.
Sources:
Personal interviews with numerous (at least 50) artisans and
woodworkers, materials from wooden playground equipment manufacturers.
Wood Sheds and Barns
Firms and homeowners construct wooden sheds for backyard storage of garden items, dog houses, horse barns and
shelters, and playhouses for children. Some of the material
for these uses may be included in remodeling figures, but there
is not a specific estimate of the volumes or values associated
with these uses.
Tourist and Gift Items
A survey of Colorado wood items marketed as tourist or
gift items in 1995 was conducted. While it was extremely difficult to fully estimate the total volume or total value of wood
used, it was possible to develop some insight into the market.
There are four firms in Colorado who make tourist and gift
items from Colorado wood and sell them on a statewide basis.
These consist of a variety of items such as wooden bowls,
candle holders, vases, bolo ties, napkin holders, and jewelry
boxes. Most of the wood used is dead, dry aspen and comes
primarily from within Colorado. There are also many local
artisans who sell products through gift stores located near their
homes. These products are made from a variety of Colorado
woods including aspen, juniper, bristlecone pine, lodgepole
pine, and ponderosa pine. This market is very substantial in
size, but it is too individualized to estimate without a very
intensive and costly survey.
In the course of the survey, a much larger number of
firms and artisans who make wooden items for the tourist
or gift market out of woods from out-of-state or out-ofcountry were identified. Some of this wood may be included
in estimates of hardwood lumber shipments into the state,
but no specific information on volumes or values used were
determined.
Sources:
Field survey by Sara McConahy and Dennis Lynch.
Hobby Woodworking
Individuals enjoy woodworking as a hobby across the state.
They make furniture, woodcarvings, turned objects, wood toys,
art objects, and a wide variety of other wooden items for personal use. Most of the wood used by hobbyists is hardwood
15
imported from out-of-state or out-of-country. No volumes or
values for these uses of wood have been determined.
Colorado who use wood to create extractives or aromas. However, significant quantities come from out-of-state.
Sources:
Personal interviews with numerous wood working club representatives and firms supplying wood to hobbyists.
Sources:
Lynch, D. 1998. Interviews with three small business owners.
Schroeder, H. 1998. Personal interview. Fort Collins, CO:
Colorado State University.
Wood for Packaging
As a part of the tourist and gift item survey, wood used for
packaging was investigated. Small wooden crates and boxes
are currently used to attractively package items like soap,
chocolates, candy, and food. Nearly all wood packaging examined was made out-of-state and imported into Colorado.
As a part of the study, examples of packaging were designed
and made using wood residues from Colorado mills. (Unfortunately these examples were lost in the Colorado State University flood of 1997). From this study, Colorado wood
residues are suitable for packaging specialty items like salsa,
chocolates, soap, or handmade jewelry. Information on volumes or values of material used is not available as of this writing.
Sources:
Field survey by Sara McConahy.
Personal interviews with numerous firms using wood packaging. Examples of wood packaging were designed and
constructed by Dave Travis, Mount Simon Woodworking.
Wooden Boxes, Tubs, Crates, Baskets, and
Barrels
Stores often use wooden boxes, tubs, crates, baskets, and
barrels for displays. Gardeners use boxes and tubs for flower
plantings. Boxes, crates, and baskets are also used for gathering and shipping fruit and vegetables. Certain Colorado tree
species would be excellent for use in such products. As of this
writing, no firms in the state make such products. Therefore
these products come entirely from out-of-state, but none of
the volumes used or the values are currently available.
Source:
Field surveys of numerous stores (more than 100).
Wood Chemicals and Extractives
Many chemicals and extractives come from wood. Examples are the flavoring for gin that comes from juniper berries, a wood extractive used in chewing gum, various aromas
created from resins, as is turpentine, a paint solvent. In this
study, no attempt was made to include chemicals or extractives due to the sheer complexity of this industry. Some discussions did occur with people operating cottage industries in
16
Specialty Forest Products
Forests produce a host of products that make our lives more
interesting and pleasant. Mushrooms, berries, herbs, wreaths,
and decorative items are examples from the specialty forest
product industry. While there is an awareness of this industry
and its importance, these forest products were not included in
this study. In some western states, cottage industries create
substantial income from specialty forest products and these
can be very desirable small businesses for rural communities.
Source:
Thomas, M. G.; Schumann, D. R. 1993. Income opportunities
for special forest products. Ag. Info. Bull. 666. Washington,
DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service.
Others
An amazing number of unique wooden objects are used in
Colorado. Wood products such as coffins, fence stays, survey
stakes, lath, tableware, trivets, plaques, paddles, etc., are being produced. The discovery of additional items not considered previously has been a constant source of surprise.
Therefore, if a wooden item is not found in this study there is
simply no information on volumes or values available on it as
of this writing.
Summary of Volumes and
Values for Wood Products
Table 1 summarizes the volumes and retail values of primary
wood products annually consumed in Colorado. The annual consumption of various primary wood market segments is also presented in figures 1-5. A summary of end use values for primary
products by end use is presented in figure 6. Table 2 summarizes
the volumes and retail values of value-added products consumed
annually in Colorado. Figure 7 gives a comparison between the
value of primary and secondary wood products consumed annually in Colorado. The retail values of wood products presented in
these tables and figures are estimated using the year 2000 as a
base. For purposes of this study, primary products are those that
have undergone simple processing from the log or from wood
residues. Value-added products take primary materials and, using additional processing, create more valuable products.
USDA Forest Service Research Paper RMRS-RP-32. 2001
Table 1. Volume and value (2000) of primary products
annually consumed in Colorado.
Retail value
in 2000
(million dollars)
Products
Volume
(millions)
Lumber
Board-feet
Residential framing
Mobile home
Commercial-industrial
Residential remodeling
Residential fencing
Decking
Highway
Truck transportation
Pallet
Mining rough sawn and finished
Subtotal
602.700
9.750
35.800
228.000
38.600
72.200
6.900
1.100
50.000
2.106
1047.156
$370.40
$5.99
$22.00
$140.11
$25.00
$47.40
$5.10
$0.66
$11.00
$0.90
$628.56
Timbers
Landscape
Railroad ties
Highway guard posts
Highway sign posts
Mine cribbing
Subtotal
Board-feet
11.000
8.200
3.400
0.080
2.400
25.080
$5.60
$4.60
$3.40
$0.05
$1.32
$14.97
Other sawn products
Shakes & shingles
Mining capboards & wedges
Subtotal
10.5 square feet
.272 bd-ft
dissimilar units
$16.60
$0.26
$16.86
Panels
Residential sheathing
Residential siding
Mobile home
Commercial-industrial panels
Commercial-industrial hardboards
Residential remodeling panels
Residential remodeling hardboard
Highway panels
Railway shipping
Subtotal
Square feet
479.000
35.900
9.110
38.300
0.400
135.000
75.000
18.300
0.230
791.240
$142.10
$20.90
$2.34
$19.20
$0.20
$67.80
$6.00
$9.20
$0.06
$267.80
Roundwood
Log home logs
Agricultural fencing
Utility poles
Highway pilings
Mine props
Subtotal
Board-feet
19.200
2.250
27.400
10.900
1.000
60.750
$37.50
$2.30
$16.90
$4.90
$0.71
$62.31
Christmas trees
Subtotal
Trees
0.495
$11.60
Wood energy
Firewood
Firelogs
Pellets
Subtotal
.026 cords
1.2 logs
.05 tons
dissimilar units
$20.70
$2.50
$8.80
$32.00
Mulch, chips & sawdust
Landscape mulch
Dairy cattle bedding
Horse bedding
Small mammal bedding
Turkey & chicken bedding
Laboratory animal bedding
Subtotal
Truck
transportation
1.1
Pallet
Highway
50.0
6.9
Decking
72.2
Mining rough sawn
and finished
2.106
Residential
fencing
38.6
Residential
remodeling
228.0
Commercialindustrial
35.8
Mobile home
9.75
Residential
framing
602.7
Figure 1. Annual Colorado consumption of lumber separated
by end use. Units in million bd-ft. Total volume = 1047.156
million bd-ft.
Mine cribbing
2.4
Highway sign
posts
0.8
Highway
guard posts
3.4
Landscape
11.0
Railroad ties
8.2
Cubic yards
0.130
$4.10
0.123
$0.86
0.802
$8.00
0.282
$0.23
0.079
$0.90
0.002
$0.13
1.418
$14.22
$ Grand Total =
$1,048.32
_______________________________________________________
Figure 2. Annual Colorado consumption of timbers separated
by end use. Units in million bd-ft. Total volume = 25.08 million bd-ft.
USDA Forest Service Research Paper RMRS-RP-32. 2001
17
Residential
remodeling
hardboard
75.0
Highway panels
18.3
Railway shipping
23
Turkey & chicken bedding
.079
Laboratory animal bedding
.002
Landscape mulch
.13
Dairy cattle
bedding
.123
Small mammal
bedding
.282
Residential
remodeling
panels
135.0
Comm-indust
hardboards
.4
Comm-indust
panels
38.3
Mobile home
9.1
Residential siding
35.9
Residential
sheathing
479.0
Figure 3. Annual Colorado consumption of panels separated
by end use. Units in million sq-ft. Total volume = 791.240
million sq-ft.
Horse bedding
.802
Figure 5. Annual Colorado consumption of mulch, chips, and
sawdust separated by end use. Units in million cubic yards.
Total volume = 1.414 million cubic yards.
700
$628.56
Mine props
1.0
Highway pilings
10.9
Log home logs
19.2
($ in millions)
600
500
400
300
$267.80
200
100
$14.97
0
Lumber Timbers
Utility poles
27.4
Agricultural
fencing
2.25
$62.31
$16.86
Other
sawn
products
Panels
$32.00 $14.22
$11.60
Round- Christmas Wood Landscape
wood
trees
energy mulch
Products
Figure 6. Summary of retail values (2000) for primary products consumed annually in Colorado.
Figure 4. Annual Colorado consumption of roundwood separated by end use. Units in million bd-ft. Total volume = 60.75
million bd-ft.
18
USDA Forest Service Research Paper RMRS-RP-32. 2001
Table 2. Volume and value (2000) of value-added products annually consumed in Colorado.
Products
Volume
(millions)
Retail value in 2000
(million dollars)
All doors
.792 each
Cabinets
.596 each
Molding
25.6 linear feet
Flooring
6 sq-ft
Windows
0.711
Furniture
Unknown
Paper
.825 tons
Paperboard
.671 tons
I-Joists
2.7 linear feet
Glulam lumber
3.8 bd-ft
Composites
.065 sq-ft
$133.80
$1,821.40
$24.10
$13.00
$33.60
$47.00
$634.26
$330.15
$4.90
$8.60
$0.20
Total
Understanding the Numbers
Nearly everyone finds it difficult to mentally visualize the
tremendous quantities estimated in this report. In this section,
quantities are calculated in terms that are easier to visualize.
∑ In 1998, a total of 51,156 dwelling units (single family and
∑
= $3,051.01
∑
3500
$3,051.01
Value (in $ million)
3000
2500
∑
2000
1500
$1,048.32
∑
1000
500
0
∑
Primary products
Value added products
Products
Figure 7. Value of primary products (2000) compared to value
added products consumed annually in Colorado.
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USDA Forest Service Research Paper RMRS-RP-32. 2001
multi-family units) were constructed in Colorado
(U.S.Census Bureau). That is equivalent to building a new
Fort Collins (44,489 total dwelling units) and a new Canon
City (estimated 6,120 dwelling units). Consider too that
Colorado is projected to gain 1.5 million new residents over
the next 20 years, which will sustain demand for dwelling
units.
Enough board feet of framing lumber in new residential
construction is used in Colorado each year to reach 40% of
the distance to the moon. If residential remodeling, mobile
home construction, commercial-industrial construction,
decking, street and highway construction, truck transport,
pallet lumber, and residential fencing to residential construction is added, the lumber use would reach over 80%
of the way to the moon.
The use of structural panels in residential construction
would cover over 4,954 football fields. All of the panels
and the exterior siding used for all purposes each year in
Colorado would cover 13,715 acres of land. That is just
slightly less than the area of Golden Gate State Park (14,000
acres).
Wood flooring used in residential construction is sufficient
to floor Concourses A, B, and C at Denver International
Airport 1½ times.
Each year 767 miles of logs averaging 10" in diameter are
used for log home construction. That’s equivalent to the
distance from Denver to Las Vegas.
Enough landscape mulch was imported into Colorado in
1999 to cover Coors field to a depth of 16 feet (the height
of the wall in right field) and 8 feet above the walls in center and left fields.
Laid end-to-end, the landscape timbers used last year could
extend from Denver to the border with Mexico at El Paso,
Texas.
Utility poles used for new construction or replacement are
sufficient to build 7,200 miles of electric line, enough to
extend around the circumference of the moon.
The 2.5 million pallets manufactured in Colorado would
cover the surface of approximately 765 acres of land. Or,
if laid side by side, they would extend 1,894 miles. That is
444 miles more than the length of the Arkansas River from
its origin near the Continental Divide above Leadville to
its junction with the Mississippi (1,450 miles).
Railroad ties used in one year could supply a light rail system from Denver to the Eisenhower tunnel.
Underground mining uses small diameter trees (6 inches
in diameter on the small end and from 5 to 11 feet long) for
props. If 63 of these trees per acre were thinned from
19
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Colorado forests, good health could be restored to 1,596
acres of forest each year. Enough cribbing is used in coal
mining to build a small wall of varying heights almost completely around the Great Sand Dune National Monument.
Enough wood shavings and chips for horse bedding is used
each year to cover the 306 acre main campus at the University
of Colorado in Boulder to a depth of over 1 ½ feet deep.
Enough turkey, chicken, and laboratory animal bedding was
used last year to fill the Great Hall at Denver International
Airport to a depth of 19 feet. Small mammal (pet) bedding
would have covered all five runways at DIA (each runway
is 12,000 feet long and 150 feet wide) to a depth of over 10
inches.
A fence with wood posts on 10-foot centers could be constructed along the Kansas and Utah borders with material
used for agricultural fencing. Residential fencing would extend for 780 miles, enough to fence the Wyoming, Nebraska,
and New Mexico borders.
Christmas trees used in Colorado in 1999 could have been
grown on just 773 acres of land. That is an area 2.4 times
the size of Denver’s City Park.
A family of four would need a 1½ ton truck to haul away
the paper they use in one year. United Airlines has the capacity to handle 300 tons of mail and freight per day at
DIA. At that rate, it would take United 13.8 years to haul
all the paper products used in Colorado each year.
Firewood imported into Colorado could have supplied every family in Jackson County with 5.2 cords of firewood,
almost enough to last a year (it gets cold in Walden in the
winter). If the manufactured firelogs used in Colorado were
laid end to end, they would reach 255 miles, a little more
than the distance from Denver to Grand Junction. The
scoreboard at the Pepsi Center weighs approximately 30
tons. In Colorado, 2,000 times that weight in wood pellets
are used during an average year.
dimensions, but not timbers. It does not include redwood lumber from California. While a major portion is framing lumber,
no data is available to verify this.
Regional percentages, presented in figure 8, are based on
777 million board feet of lumber, tracked by Western Wood
Products Association (WWPA), Statistics Canada (SC), and
Southern Forest Products Association (SFPA), directly shipped
by rail and truck to Colorado in 1999. But the percentages do
not include amounts shipped to another state and then rerouted
to Colorado. Based on figure 8, most lumber shipped to
Colorado (65%) still comes from the Western region. However, according to SFPA (2000) data, from 1990 to 1999,
softwood lumber production increased in Canada and the South
as production declined in Colorado and the Western region.
The percentage of lumber shipments from the Western region, Canada, and the Southern region are presented in tables
3, 4, and 5. Percentages by state or province are based on two
comparative years of data, 1996 and 1997, for the West and
Canada. Data for the South is based on 1999 rail shipment
data that accounts for 57% of the southern pine lumber shipped
to Colorado. Truck shipment origin and destination data is
not currently available.
South
10%
Canada
25%
Where Does the Wood Come
From?
At several points in this paper it has been stated that wood
came from out-of-state, but in some cases specifics were not
provided. Exactly where does this wood come from? To determine this, we searched many data sources, appealed for
help from statisticians in several regions of the country, and
looked for available transportation data. This is what we found:
West
65%
Figure 8. Percentage of lumber directly shipped to Colorado
by region.
Table 3. Percentage of lumber shipments from the Western region by state.
State
Softwood Lumber From the West,
South, and Canada
Softwood lumber information reported here principally includes pine, fir, hemlock, and spruce species that have been
kiln dried, planed, and graded. It includes all lumber
20
Idaho
Oregon
Washington
California
Montana
Wyoming
Colorado
South Dakota
Percentage directly shipped
31 - 34%
22 - 23%
19 - 20%
12 - 15%
10%
0.6 - 0.8%
0.6 - 0.7%
0.40%
USDA Forest Service Research Paper RMRS-RP-32. 2001
Table 4. Percentage of lumber shipments from Canada by plywood and Minnesota the most OSB. Hardboard panels are
province.
Province
Percentage directly shipped
British Columbia
Alberta
Quebec
Ontario
Saskatchewan
Manitoba
73 - 76%
10 -14%
7 -9%
3 - 4%
1 -3%
0.2 -0.4%
almost entirely shipped from Oregon. Almost all particleboard
(97.5%) comes from within the United States. Canada provides only 2.5% to Colorado. Major particleboard shipping states
are summarized in figure 12. Oregon accounts for the majority
of shipments. Only three Canadian provinces, Alberta, British
Columbia, and Quebec, ship particleboard to Colorado. The percentage of particleboard shipments from these provinces is summarized in figure 13.
Table 5. Percentage of lumber shipments from the Southern
region by state.
State
Alberta
28%
Percentage directly shipped
Louisiana
Arkansas
Texas
Mississippi
Alabama
Oklahoma
Maryland
48%
23%
9%
7%
4%
3%
2%
British
Columbia
5%
Ontario
30%
Wood Products From Mexico
Between January 1995 and December 1999, Mexico
shipped 1,993.9 tons of wood products valued at $1.1 million
to Colorado by truck and rail. This is an average of 399 tons
valued at $220,456 per year. Based on contacts in the market,
these wood products were primarily firewood, rough lumber,
and landscape timbers.
Manitoba
37%
Figure 9. Distribution by province of Canadian OSB shipments
to Colorado.
Panels
Approximately 145 million square feet of oriented strand
board panels are manufactured in Colorado each year. If all of
these panels stayed in state, they would only meet 21% of the
annual need for structural panels in Colorado. However, not
all of these panels stay in Colorado because of the OSB plant
location in relation to Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico
markets. In any event, more than 79% of structural panels
used in Colorado come from out-of-state.
Rail shipment data confirm that 60% of the structural panels shipped by rail to Colorado come from Canada. These panels are primarily oriented strand board (OSB). The provinces
directly shipping OSB to Colorado are summarized in figure
9. Manitoba followed closely by Ontario and Alberta account
for most of the Canadian shipments to Colorado. The remaining 40% of the structural panels shipped by rail from within
the United States are 53% plywood and 47% OSB. Principal
plywood shipping states are summarized in figure 10 and principal OSB shipping states in figure 11. Oregon ships the most
USDA Forest Service Research Paper RMRS-RP-32. 2001
Washington
28%
Arkansas
21%
Oregon
43%
Idaho
8%
Figure 10. Distribution by state of U.S. plywood shipments to
Colorado.
21
Quebec
20%
Montana
10%
Minnesota
86%
Alberta
48%
Wisconsin
4%
British
Columbia
32%
Figure 11. Distribution by state of U.S. OSB shipments to Colorado.
Montana
12%
California
7%
Idaho
13%
Oregon
68%
Figure 12. Distribution by state of U.S. particleboard shipments to Colorado.
22
Figure 13. Distribution by province of Canadian particleboard
shipments to Colorado.
Production of Wood Products
From Colorado Forests
Colorado has a total land area of 66.4 million acres. Of this
area, 21.3 million acres, or about 32% of the state, are at least
10% stocked with forest trees of any size and thus classified
as forest land. This includes federal, state, and private lands
commonly recognized as being forested. However, it also includes areas that may not be thought of as forested, such as
pinyon-juniper or gambel oak woodlands and some riparian
areas of cottonwood, box elder, and willow. Of the total forested area, approximately 11 million acres are considered noncommercial. While some forest products, such as firewood,
berries, nuts, mushrooms, decorative materials, Christmas
trees, etc., are harvested from many of these areas, the commercial wood harvest comes from lands designated as suitable for timber production in forest plans. Timberlands are
those forest areas capable of growing 20 cubic feet or more of
commercial wood per year. Of the total forested area, approximately 10 million acres could meet these criteria as timberlands. However, because of a number of special designations,
restrictions, and reservations, a very small amount of these
lands are actually managed for timber production.
In Colorado there are 13.7 million acres of National Forest
land. These lands were originally identified as the best forest lands
in Colorado and were reserved from the public domain primarily
for timber and water purposes. The gross annual growth on these
lands was 1.3 billion board feet and the annual mortality was 412
million board feet in 1999 (USFS TRACS 2000). During 1999,
only 51.5 million board feet of timber were cut from 2.8 million
USDA Forest Service Research Paper RMRS-RP-32. 2001
acres of National Forest lands designated by forest plans as available for timber harvest (Deickman 2000). Of this area, 988 thousand acres are actually designated by forest plans for timber
emphasis (USFS TRACS 2000). For purposes of comparison,
there are 3.3 million acres of wilderness in Colorado, almost all
of which is managed by the USDA Forest Service (Wilderness
Society 2000).
There are less than 8 million acres of private and state forested lands in Colorado (CSFS 1981). State forest lands were
part of land grants from the public domain made at statehood
or to support education. Some state forest lands were acquired
later in land exchanges with National Forests. Private forests
were included with lands originally homesteaded for agriculture or claimed for mining purposes. About 446,000 acres of
forest are state owned and 7.4 million acres of forest are privately owned. Only 3.4 million acres of state and private forest lands are considered capable of meeting commercial
timberland status. Much of the capable private land is not managed for timber production or has been subdivided and developed to the point that management for timber purposes alone
is not feasible. Based on studies and analysis done by the
Colorado State Forest Service, there are approximately
50,000 private forest owners in Colorado who hold 10 or
more acres of forest land (Schwolert 2000).
A total of 38.3 million board feet were cut from Colorado
State Forest Service (CSFS) administered state and private
lands. These lands have forest management plans prepared by
CSFS (Schwolert 2000). Based on industry contacts it was
estimated that an additional 20 million board feet were cut
from private lands under contracts between landowners and
timber companies. These landowners may have plans prepared
by consulting foresters or timber company foresters. Thus,
state and private forest lands produced a total of 58.3 million
board feet in 1999.
Therefore, a total of 109.8 million board feet of timber were
cut in Colorado in 1999. This is approximately 8% of the
amount wood used in Colorado for board foot products (includes firewood and roundwood) and for panels (measured in
square feet, but converted to board feet for this analysis). However, given the limited capacity for production and the location of processing facilities in Colorado, some of the cut went
to Wyoming and New Mexico for processing. These data appear to further support estimates that out-of-state wood imports amounted to 90% to 100% of the wood used in 1999.
USFS. 2000. TRACS Land Suitability Class Summary Report. Denver, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest
Service, Region 2.
Wilderness Society. 2000. Web site: http://www.wilderness.org/
Conclusion
Colorado uses tremendous amounts of wood products, but
it depends on imports from other states and countries to meet
its needs. As a result, significant amounts of money from
Colorado’s economy are transferred elsewhere to purchase and
transport wood. Despite the presence of abundant forests capable of providing many types of wood products and serious
concerns about forest health and catastrophic fires, Colorado
continues to import 90% to 100% of the wood it uses. In many
cases, the wood being used is transported great distances from
forests that are similar in nature to Colorado’s and even less
capable of producing wood fiber. Thus, there appear to be
excellent opportunities for using trees thinned from Colorado
forests in this market. In particular, small diameter trees removed to improve forest health and reduce fire hazard could
be utilized for some products. Additionally, there are policy
and management questions related to Colorado’s use of imported wood that should be addressed. Small diameter opportunities and policy and management implications are discussed
in subsequent papers.
Sources:
CSFS. 1981. Forest Resource Planning 1981 Assessment.
SFRP Document No. 5. Fort Collins, CO: Colorado State
University.
Dieckman, D. 2000. Personal communication. Denver, CO:
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Region 2.
Schwolert, P. 2000. Personal communication. Fort Collins, CO:
Colorado State Forest Service.
USDA Forest Service Research Paper RMRS-RP-32. 2001
23
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does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture of any
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RMRS
ROCKY MOUNTAIN RESEARCH STATION
The Rocky Mountain Research Station develops scientific
information and technology to improve management, protection, and use of the forests and rangelands. Research is
designed to meet the needs of National Forest managers,
Federal and State agencies, public and private organizations,
academic institutions, industry, and individuals.
Studies accelerate solutions to problems involving ecosystems, range, forests, water, recreation, fire, resource inventory, land reclamation, community sustainability, forest engineering technology, multiple use economics, wildlife and fish
habitat, and forest insects and diseases. Studies are conducted cooperatively, and applications may be found worldwide.
Research Locations
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*Station Headquarters, Natural Resources Research Center,
2150 Centre Avenue, Building A, Fort Collins, CO 80526
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